Lesson Plan - How 3-D Printing Is Changing the World

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about 3-D printing from a video, article, and text features and then design a 3-D printed invention.

Curriculum Connections

• Production, Distribution, and Consumption

• Inventions

• NASA and Space

• Education and Health Care

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Consider relationships among science, technology, and society

• Study how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods

English Language Arts:

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

• Write an informative essay

• Write for a task, purpose, and audience

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.2, WHST.6-8.4, WHST.6-8.9, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.2, W.6-8.4, W.6-8.9, SL.6-8.1

1. Preparing to Read

Engage and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: Look at the article’s opening image of 3-D printers and some of the objects they can create. What do you notice about the objects? What do they tell you about 3-D printers? Discuss responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms in the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to underline or highlight examples of how 3-D printers are helping individuals and society.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What is special about the new school in Malawi? What problem does it solve? (Problem and Solution)
The school is the first one in the world that was built using a 3-D printer. Its concrete walls were constructed in just 15 hours. The school helps solve the problem of many students in the area having to walk long distances to school.

• How do 3-D printers work? (Key Details)
3-D printers use materials like plastic, metal, or concrete to create solid objects that have length, width, and height. A computer program creates an image of the object and sends it to the printer. The printer pushes the material through heated nozzles and builds the object layer by layer.

• What are some of the advantages of 3-D printing? (Summarizing)
One advantage of 3-D printing is that it can create objects on demand. For example, NASA might be able to 3-D print spare parts on board the International Space Station instead of having to send thousands of parts there just in case they’re needed. Another advantage of 3-D printing is that it can be less wasteful than traditional manufacturing.

3. Skill Building

Watch and Write

Read aloud the “Write About It!” prompt at the end of the article. Ask students to think about it and take notes as they watch the video “Dream It, Print It.” Then guide students to write an essay that includes information from the article and video.

Dream It, Print It
Watch a video about 3-D printers and how they work.

Design an Invention

Assign the Skill Builder Print It! to guide students to design something that could be 3-D printed. Have students work individually or in small groups.

Assess Comprehension

Use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

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Lesson: How 3-D Printing Is Changing the World

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